High school senior believes his survey data could help improve the community

It's an ambitious senior project that doesn't involve building something, volunteering, painting or reading to the sick or elderly. But it could help make Wrangell a better place to live.

Will Ashton, 18, wants to gather the community's thoughts on the economic and social well-being of the town and use the collected data to help borough leaders improve the quality of life.

He hopes to survey as many residents as possible covering the areas of subsistence economy, cash economy and the social fabric. Ashton's ambition is to survey the entire population of the island. "Even if I could get half, that would be OK," he said. "This is a really ambitious thing. I'm not entirely sure how it will go, but those are numbers that I hope to reach."

Once Ashton has written questions geared toward his three categories, he will find the best means to distribute the survey, whether in an online format or with physical copies. He'll then compile the results and present his findings to the borough assembly and other agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service.

The idea came when Ashton began brainstorming and approached his dad, Brian, about the possibilities.

"(Will) approached me and said he wanted to do something substantial, take a leadership role and do something unique," the elder Ashton said. "Out of the three things I threw out there, Will has always been interested in social sciences."

Ashton told his father getting the town's take on the economy, subsistence and social makeup would be a unique approach, wondering what could be needed to improve the quality of life in those areas. The results could aid leadership, Brian Ashton said.

"Our ordinances require the (borough) to have a strategic plan every 10 years," Brian Ashton said. "(We need to) have a meeting and put something out in front of people, but it's not an in-depth look at what people ... should be considering. What it comes down to is what does it require to have a healthy, diverse economy?"

It was Ashton's interest in psychology and sociology that helped him decide on the project, though it was still too broad of a scope to pursue. High school counselor Julie Williams and Principal Bob Burkhart helped him to narrow things down.

"After evaluating his thoughts and examining his ideas, Will admitted that he needed a much tighter focus to determine the parameters of his project and how a survey might assist in the process," Burkhart said. "He left my office planning to carefully consider the questions, extent and scope of his survey to add more substance and direction to his project."

Ashton credits Williams with helping him sort out the subsistence angle to his survey. "She helped in the subsistence aspect to help narrow down what kind of subsistence because there are so many like fishing, hunting, gathering berries and mushrooms. The list goes on and on," he said. "I think it would be good to highlight the greatest aspect of those."

He's not sure what data will be found with his survey, but he hopes that any "cracks or flaws in the system" will be exposed, making it easier for community leaders to address them.

Though Ashton is looking forward to graduating and being done with the stress of tests, his ambitious nature won't end in May. If accepted to his church's program, he will go to Israel for a year of religious service, tending to the temples and gardens of his Baháʼí faith.

He does admit, however, that he will miss school because of his friends.

"I have a good group of friends," Ashton said. "Also, the teachers are nice here."